Kearsarge Tops Weapons Inspection

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Phil Beaufort, USS Kearsarge Public Affairs

April 15, 2010 - NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The Weapons Department aboard amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) successfully completed their Explosive Safety Technical Assist Visit April 12, with a finding of "Low Risk."

The Low Risk determination means Kearsarge's Weapons Handling Program is as safe as possible when dealing with explosive materiel.

Inspectors from Afloat Training Group (ATG) Atlantic conducted a 12-point survey of Kearsarge's weapons program, prior to loading and storing ordnance.

According to Chief Warrant Officer David Meers, Kearsarge's gunnery officer, the goal of the inspection is to determine whether the Weapons Department's ordnance handling program is up to Navy standards.

"This assist visit is the first step in passing our full weapons certification," said Meers. "The primary focus of the inspection is simple. Is our weapons handling program a safe one? In order to determine that, ATG starts with the administrative side of the house and then looks at any department on the ship that's involved with weapons handling, storage or transport."

Weapons are an integral part of a warship; and the handling, stowage and deployment of weapons affect a large number of ship's departments.

"On the administrative side, they need to know if our inventory correct. Is everyone directly handling ordnance, qualified to do so," said Meers. "Then they go through our magazines and do an in-depth inspection checking everything from sprinklers, hoist and elevator systems, maintenance, and the level of knowledge of our ordnancemen and gunner's mates."

According to Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Jeffrey Comstock, preparation for this inspection began over a year ago.

"We began preparing our weapons magazines while we were in the shipyards, so we've had a long time to get ready for this inspection," said Comstock. "We actually took the ATG check-list and used it as a base-line for our weapons handling program, then we upped it a level."

Comstock said that one of the things that pulled it all together was Weapons Department's "one team, one fight" mentality.

"Sailors can get pretty competitive at times, so at other commands you might find different divisions within one department competing against each other," said Comstock. "All of Kearsarge's Weapons Divisions works together, so no matter what magazine you enter they are all up to the same standard."

Training also played a key roll in the inspection's success.

"This isn't a pop quiz. ATG lets everyone know what they're looking for long before they show up to inspect," said Comstock. "We trained everyone to the same level of knowledge. So if an inspector asked our most junior Sailor a question, they knew the answer and what publication it was related to."

The benefit of this level of preparation can be long lasting.

"I think the younger Sailors in Weapons got a lot out of all this preparation," said Comstock. "We had a lot of lead time so we were able to do some really in-depth training and walk them through the entire process. This is really going to help them at future commands when they go through these types of inspections."

With the successful completion of this inspection, Kearsarge is ready to begin on-loading a full complement of weapons for their fall deployment.